1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the production of slide fasteners, and more particularly to a method of cutting a continuous slide fastener chain into individual slide fastener lengths.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the art of cutting a continuous slide fastener chain into individual slide fastener lengths, it is known that the fastener chain is pulled forwardly beyond a cutting station by a downward gripper to an extent corresponding to an individual slide fastener length and is then cut transversely across a succeeding one of longitudinally spaced successive element-free portions by a pair of scissors while such individual fastener length of the fastener chain is kept in a state of tension by the downstream gripper in cooperation with an upstream gripper. A common problem with this prior art method is that the degree of tension of the stringer tape would vary little by little as the cutting progresses from one edge to the other across the fastener chain, thus providing unsightly tape ends that are not straight and/or perpendicular to the longitudinal tape edges. This prior art is exemplified by Japanese Patent Publication (Tokkosho) No. 49-44243.